Envisioning a world in which every young musician is given the opportunity to succeed

At the age of 8, Gustavo Menezes began taking piano lessons, which sparked his interest in music. At 13, he taught himself to play electric bass and guitar, and played in some bands. When he picked up the cello after he began attending The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush High School, he instantly developed a great love for the instrument and was committed to becoming a great cellist. After performing with the Benjamin Rush Orchestra, he fell in love with the environment of performing, and within his first year of playing the cello, he became principal cellist of the Rush Orchestra. Currently, he is the Principal Cellist of the Rush Arts Honors Orchestra, and Principal of the Rush Arts Chamber Strings Orchestra. He has played in the Advanced String Ensemble at the Temple Community Music Scholars Program, and is currently in the Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra. Gustavo teaches cello, guitar, and piano at the Paganini Institute of Music. His ambitions include performing in to the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra in the near feature, and a career in music after attending college as a music major.